A medal of St Michael is suspended on a
gold chain around his neck. His right hand, holding gloves, rests on a table
with a green velvet cover; his left on a magnificently worked sword hilt.
His narrowed blue eyes, his shrewd glance, his dark moustache and beard lend
his face a singular attraction. The whole is a telling portrait of a
sovereign who was an outstanding personality and a generous Renaissance
patron of art.

Portrait of François I, King of France

1525-30
Wood, 96 x 74 cm
Musée du Louvre, Paris

Francis I (1494-1547) became king of
France in 1515 while still a young man, and like the German emperor Charles
V (emperor 1519-1556) and Henry VIII of England (king 1509-1547) he was
always eager to present himself in a setting of great splendor. Clouet's
portrait of Francis had an important role in this. In the unusually large
Louvre portrait, Clouet shows Francis I in opulent Renaissance apparel; the
traditional insignia of royal majesty were dispensed with, but crowns are
woven in to the costly red damask behind the figure of the king.

The painting is one of the masterpieces
of Renaissance portraiture. The half length figure of the king is painted in
front of a scarlet brocade background. His cap, studded with pearls, is
encircled with white feathers. His magnificent black and white striped satin
doublet is lavishly embroidered in gold.